Southwest Announces New Routes Throughout California

Sacramento residents will soon be able to get to Walt Disney World quickly and cheaply.

Southwest Airlines, the dominant carrier in the city, announced it’s adding 23 nonstop flights per week from the state capital to five new cities, according to the Sacramento Bee.

The new destinations, which include New Orleans, Orlando, St. Louis, Austin and Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, will be rolled out in April and May. They represent the biggest flight-increase announcement in decades for Sacramento.

The airline is making a substantial investment in California, and the new Sacramento flight offerings are just one piece of that plan.

“The California economy is strong, and the Sacramento economy is strong,” Andrew Watterson, a Southwest vice president, said in the Sacramento Bee. “People are traveling more, so we are responding.”

Altogether, the budget carrier announced nearly 20 new nonstop routes from the state, as well as increased frequency on 27 existing routes and the opening of new international gateways, according to a Southwest press release. Additional routes include nonstop service on Saturdays and Sundays from San Diego, California to Puerto Vallarta and new daily nonstop service between San Jose, California and Boise, St.Louis, Austin, and Houston.

The popular Mexican getaway of Cancun is also among Southwest’s new offerings, though not from California. Beginning April 14, the airline will offer nonstop service on a seasonal basis on Saturdays between Cancun and both Columbus, Ohio, and New Orleans.

Sacramento airport officials were overjoyed as one of the biggest beneficiaries of the airline’s investment.

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